St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-06-09
Tlre Ga1eduniam.
ABOUT MONEY.
FOman Mans Help, Not His Hindrance


Every girl who is not entirely de-
,endent on her male relations-a posi-
on which, considering all the ups and
owns of life. the SOONER she gets out
a the better-Ought, by the time she
old enough to possess any money, to
<now exactly how much she has, where
is invested, and what it ought yearly
bring in. By this time also she
hOuld have acquired some knowledge
I'd business-bank business, referring
ID checks, dividends, and so on, and
81 much of ordinary business, as she
IN. To her, information of practi-
ii kind never comes amiss, especially
be three golden rules, which have
rery rare exceptions: No investment
II over five per cent is really safe (;
rust no one with your money without
ecurity, which ought to be as strict
Between the nearest and dearest friends
~ between strangers; and lastly, Keep
your affairs from day to day in as
fcurate order as if you had to die to-
Morrow. The mention of dying sug-
sests another necessity; as soon as you
5Fe twenty-One years of age, make
Bur will. You will not die a day
he sooner; you can alter it whenever
pu like; while the ease of mind 1T
Ill be to you, and the trouble it may
NE to those that come after you, are
yond telling.
The old notion was that man being
BE superior, when a woman married
IIe became absorbed in her husband,
nd everything she possessed was his.
radually society discovered that men
kpd women, though different, are equal,
nd that therefore it was desirable to
ecOgnize their separate identity, and
81 make marriage, financially, Il part
.lership with limited liability. By re-
ent laws married woman is, as re-
BIRDS her property and a good many of
ler rights, just as free as if she were
Ipgle. And no honest, honorable man,
D wise and tender husband, would
ish it otherwise. 1t makes no differ
nce ut all to those who really love
nd trust each other, while to those
Mo do not it is Il certain protection on
bth sides.
One of the worst Of women, not act
,blly criminal, is she who has no sense
81 the value and use of money, who
lever keeps accounts, having "nO head
ID figures" or finding it "tOO much
IrDuble." Consequently, even with the
,est intentions, she wastes as much as
lie spends, but consoles herself Oh the
hasy principle that sit doesn't matter J;
r. SO-and-SO pays for everything"
As he does, God help him and chiefly
or that one false step which made him
lie himself for life to a charming, agree
Iple-perhaps even lOvable-fOOl
But if she is not fool, and he really
IN trust her, he would better do it,
abt only with her own money, but his.
do not mean that he should become
be prOverbially good husband whose
.Nife every Monday morning puts a
spvereign in his pocket, with strict
&DjunctiOns never to change it," but
at he should trust her with his affairs,
md above all tell her exactly what
ncOme he has, and how he thinks it
ehould be spent. If she is Il sensible
"a oman the chances are she will spend
far more wisely and economically
ban he will. Very few men have the
t me or the patience to make a shilling
Re- 10 as far as it can; women have, es-
aecially woman whose one thought is
ID save her husband from having bur
lens greater than he can bear; to help
him by that quiet carefulness in money
tnatters which alone gives an easy
mind and real enjoyment of life !; to
take care of the pennies, that he may
have the pounds free for all his lawful
heeds and lawful pleasures, too.
Surely there can be no sharper pang
10 loving wife than to see her hus-
band staggering under the weight of
Family life; worked almost to death in
s order to dodge "the wolf at the door -
jOyless in the present, terrified at the
Future; and yet all this might have
been averted if the wife had known
the value and use of money, and been
hble to keep what her husband earned =;
s TO "cut her coat according to her cloth, u
& for any income is 'limited" unless you
Ian teach yourself to live within it; to
f'waste not" and therefore to "want
hot"
But this is not always the wOman's
h Fault. Many men insist blindly on a
style of living which their means will
hot allow, and many a wife has been
eruelly blamed for living at a rate OF
Expenditure unwarranted by her hus-
bands means, and which his pecuniary
condition made absolutely dishonest
had she known it. But she did not
know it, he being too careless or toe
cOwardly to tell her, and she had not
the sense to inquire or to find out
"a Every mistress of OusehOld--especi-
billy every mOther-Ought to find out
what the family income is, and where
1t comes from, and thereby prevent al
81 needless extravaganza. Half the mis-
d erable or disgraceful bankruptcies tina
Happen never would happen if the
s. wives had the sense and courage tt
81 stand firm, and insist on knowing
81 enough about the family income to eX
Il pend it prOportiOnately to restrain
81 as every wife should, too lavish hus
band; or, failing that, to stop hersel
81 out of all luXuries which she cannO
righteOusly afford. Above all, to bring
up her children in tender carefulnes
that refuses to mulct "the governor
out of one unnecessary halfpenny, o
to waste the money he works so hare
for in their own thOughtless amuse
ments.
1t is to make the woman mans bel
and not his hindrance, that | wOul'
have our girls taught to claim thei
real ''rights," and exercise their bes
"'female anchise"-freedOm to stan,
on their feet, and, be they single o
married, to take their affairs into thei
. own hands, especially. their financial
< affairs. A person who is careless abou
money is careless about everything ant
Enthusiastically in everything. 1t
your despised prudent folk to WHOM
8 the rashly generous, indifferent an
thOughtless come in the end for a.
s. that makes life worth having: "Giv
us of your oil, for our lamps are gon
out" But why were they allowed t
go out p Mrs. Craik, in Harper's Ba